Swine Flu Latest

Keep up to date with latest information relating the the swine flu outbreak.

The Department of Health has stated that The World Health Organization has raised its alert over the spread of swine flu to level five - one short of its highest alert level.
Phase five means that person-to-person spread of the virus has taken place in at least two countries.

A leaflet published by The Department of Health, which will be delivered to people’s doors nationwide early next week. It explains swine flu and how it could spread, what UK governments have done to prepare for a wider outbreak of flu, how people can protect themselves against flu as well as what to do if they have flu symptoms.

Download the Swine flu information leaflet (PDF, 912K)

CATCH IT. BIN IT. KILL IT
A mass public health campaign has begun today with TV, print and radio adverts warning people about swine flu with the simple message: CATCH IT. BIN IT. KILL IT.

It is important to emphasise that in all cases outside Mexico, the symptoms of this illness are mild and all patients have made a full recovery.

Take simple measures to prevent infection.
Wash Hands Regularly.
Where washing facilities are unavailable or when travelling, consider using an antibacterial gel for the hands, such as that used in medical establishments.
Sneeze or cough into a TISSUE handkerchief (Not your hand), ensuring that both the nose and mouth are covered. Then dispose of the tissue IMMEDIATELY.
Anyone who develops flu-like symptoms should go home and contact their GP.
Anyone who has recently travelled to the affected areas and is experiencing influenza-like illness should stay at home to limit contact with others and seek medical advice by phone from a local health professional or NHS Direct.

Ensuring a clean home or workplace free of bacteria will keep you healthy and mobilis direct offers some of the best cleaning products available. With sterilisation products, disposable gloves and masks, and wipes and sprays for both surfaces and the skin, you can keep your environment clean.

For information on the health and hygiene aspects of swine flu, visit the Department of Health website.
Swine flu - health protection advice

Swine flu - travel advice from the DOH
If you have recently visited one of the countries or areas where human cases of influenza have been identified, or are planning to do so, read the advice for travellers.
Swine flu - travel advice

Aquaflex Pelvic Floor Exercise System

The simple and effective way to strengthen pelvic floor muscles and treat incontinence problems, as seen on Channel 4's Embarrassing Bodies.

Aquaflex Vaginal Cones
are one of the most widely used pelvic floor muscles exercise systems in the UK.

Aquaflex Cones are clinically proven pelvic floor muscle exercise systems consisting of weighted vaginal incontinence cones, specially designed to improve pelvic floor muscle tone.

Aquaflex Cones help to improve general pelvic health by strengthening weak pelvic floor muscles, restore bladder control, and can also improve sexual response and satisfaction.

Aquaflex Vaginal Cones are also ideal for use before and after pregnancy to prepare the pelvic floor muscles for child birth and strengthen the muscles following child birth. Please note: Aquaflex Cones should NOT be used during pregnancy.

Used for just 20 minutes a day, an improvement in pelvic floor strength can be expected in just 12 weeks! Recommended by health professionals worldwide, Aquaflex Cones are an effective treatment for pelvic floor problems.

Buy Aquaflex Cones

20% off Easter Sale

20% OFF Easter Sale NOW ON!

If you're setting off somewhere for the Easter break, remember the old saying - be prepared!  MobilisDirect.com have everything you need to ensure your journey or holiday is injury free! 

Right now there is a fantastic 20% off everything to help you along the way..... 

 
Be Prepared!
We've selected a number of products you're likely to need this Easter. 

Hurry!

This sale must end on 24th April 2009, so hurry while stocks last.

Six Nations Tickets to be Won

Mobilis take pride in their association with the majority of the Premiership Clubs in Football and Rugby with our extensive range of quality products. They excel in providing solutions for top-flight international squads and local league sides alike AND...

....They have only managed to get hold of two pairs of tickets for England V Scotland game on Saturday 21st March, 2009 at Twickenham Stadium. If you fancy getting your hands on these for free just enter the competition competition on the link below.

Closing date: Midnight on Monday 16th March 2009. Winners will be notified on Tuesday 17th March 2009.

Enter the competition

20% Off Sale Extended

The 20% off sale has been so popular it's been extended for an extra week!

Customers can get 20% off everything on Mobilis Direct until midnight on Sunday 25th January 2009.

Plantar Faciitis and The Strassburg Sock

Plantar fasciitis is a painful inflammatory condition affecting the underside of the foot. The pain is usually worst in the morning when you step out of bed or after being seated for a period of time. Read more

Skiing, Snowboarding and Knee Braces

As winter approaches, many people with knee problems request our advice on the best type of brace to support the knee whilst skiing.  The answer depends on the type and severity of the problem.

Three of the most common problems affecting the knee;

Knee pain when skiing.

This can be a complex issue but in short, if you are only experiencing knee pain when skiing, then it is most likely that the knees are just not used to this type of activity.  Skiing is not like riding a bike, you cannot just stop and start when you wish and expect your body to adapt quickly.  Strength is required, not just from the knee joint itself but from the Quadriceps (muscles in the front of the thigh) and the Hamstrings (muscles at the back of the thigh).

It is very important that you embark on a programme of fitness training leading up to your skiing, specifically designed to target these areas.  Your local fitness instructor or sports injury specialist will be able to design a programme for you.

If you suffer from painful knee joints at other times, such as walking, going up and down stairs and/or pain at rest, you must consult a medical professional before attempting sports such as skiing.

Do not rely on a knee brace or support to reduce knee pain.

 

An injured ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament)

Commonly found in football and rugby injuries as well as previous skiing accidents, a damaged or previously ruptured ACL means that one of the ligaments situated in the middle of the knee joint, attaching your lower leg to your upper leg has been compromised in some way.  This may be a minor strain or a major rupture which has required surgery.

Damage to the ACL can often result in instability, this means that when the knee joint is under pressure, such as walking downhill, down stairs or skiing, it may give way and some people experience this "giving way" even during normal activity.

A medical professional trained in sports injuries can assess the joint to see if there is any instability and will advise you on the level of activity you can safely undertake.  For mild strains, strengthening and stability exercises should suffice, but more serious ruptures may mean that you will not be able to ski or snowboard.

In moderate cases, a practitioner will allow you to ski but recommend the use of an appropriate brace. The type of support needed for this purpose is complex and must be specifically designed to limit the movement between the upper and lower leg when the knee is slightly bent. They will be labelled ACL & PCL. A normal neoprene knee support will not suffice.

Some excellent examples of these braces are The Push ACL, Thusane Genu Pro Control Classic and the Donjoy Armor or Legend

 

Damage to the Medial and Lateral Ligaments of the knee.

Again, often football, rugby, squash or skiing related injuries, but this time the ligaments attaching the upper and lower leg bones together on the inside (medial) and outside (lateral) of the knee have been damaged.

As with any ligament injury, the damage can result in instability but this time when the knee is stressed from side to side (exactly as it is in skiing).

If your therapist has advised that you ski using a brace, then you need one that offers medial and lateral support and will be labelled MCL and LCL.

These braces have metal stays or springs on the inside and outside of the knee to support any sideways movement.

Examples of braces for this type of support are the Push med Knee brace and the Mueller Hinged Knee Brace range.

Never rely on a brace to compensate for serious joint laxity, if you experience "giving way" of the knee joint during normal activity or mild sporting activity you should never attempt to ski or snowboard.  Not only are you endangering yourself but you could injure somebody else.

If you are in any doubt about a knee injury and your fitness to ski, please seek medical opinion.  This article is not intended to be used for diagnosis of an injury.

Sports Injury Specialist

The Sportsmedic.com.

Hydrotherapy

Well documented for the treatment of joint and muscular problems since ancient Greek and Roman times. Hydrotherapy or aqua therapy is used today to help a variety of conditions from arthritis to stroke and paralysis.

Many sportsmen and women are aware of the benefits of hydrotherapy, whether used for rehabilitation following injury or surgery or to enhance their fitness and training.

Water offers support to joints and muscles, thus reducing impact and strain.  Water also offers a degree of resistance allowing for strengthening of injured muscles.  This resistance however, is limited and in order to increase resistance, specially designed weighted belts and equipment is used.

Hydrotherapy is regularly employed in the very early stages of rehabilitation and this can cause problems with bandages, wound dressings, casts and PICC lines. Waterproof cast protectors are available in a range of sizes to suit upper and lower limbs, allowing complete confidence in the water.

Cut Your Rugby Taping Costs

 

 

Over the past two to three years it has become popular to tape around the thighs of some rugby players to aid lifting during lineout.

Rugby Union is played from September to April and often in inclement weather.  Holding a player up during lineout can be dangerous, they may slip due to wet skin, muddy hands or just an awkward lift.

Taping around the mid thigh with EAB (Elastic Adhesive Bandage) became commonplace with the international squads and this filtered down to all levels.  For some local teams, the cost of this practice is almost prohibitive, with a roll of 7cm EAB costing anywhere between £2.00 and £8.00.

This year especially, teams are feeling the pinch as fuel and heating costs soar.  Even getting the team to the match can be twice as expensive as last year.

One of the saving graces, as discovered by the Carlisle 1st XV squad last year, is handball wax.

Rubbed on the thigh around the area that would normally be taped, it offers enough grip and is easily removed.

 

 

Handball wax offers more than just grip, it has many advantages over EAB tape:

 

• Tape rolls and comes loose during the match as it becomes wet and muddy.
• Tape pulls the hairs from the skin and repeated use in the same area can even cause skin problems such as contact dermatitis.
• EAB is not very good at sticking in the damp and players often tape over it with electrical or zinc oxide tape.  Restrictive taping around the powerful muscles of the Quadriceps and Hamstrings, can result in injury.
• EAB tape takes up quite a bit of room in the already bulging "physio's" touchline bag.

Wobble Boards

The wobble or balance board is one of the most commonly used and versatile pieces of equipment for lower limb strength and balance training.  It is an invaluable and inexpensive tool in the rehabilitation of ankle, knee and hip injuries. 

They are made from a circular disc of wood with a hemisphere placed centrally underneath, allowing the most comprehensive range of motion. Some manufacturers have developed an adjustable central mechanism to allow different degrees of tilt or have placed the board on an air cushion.

Various adaptations are available, offering many different uses and benefits.

 

Rocker board

These boards are built to offer only one plane of motion, either front to back or side to side.

They can be large enough to accommodate both feet or just the right size for one foot.

 

Air Cushion

Quite simply an air filled circular cushion.  Some models have a valve to allow as little or as much air as required.  Not only can this piece of equipment be used in a similar way to a wobble board, but there are hundreds of other exercises and uses.  Perfect for use where a floor covering may be damaged by a wooden board.

 

 

Convenient and effective training or retraining of the body's sense of balance (proprioception), which can become quickly and severely impaired, even after minor injury.

A good sense of balance controls the position of the pelvis which will improve lower abdominal, hip and core pelvic muscle strength and control.

Strengthens

Quadriceps, hamstring and calf muscles

Knee and ankle ligaments and muscles

Core stabilising muscles of the lower abdomen and pelvis.

 

Use

After injury or post operation

To train balance skills as part of a core stability programme.

To improve mechanical back pain due to posture imbalances and muscle weakness.

To improve sports specific balance skills such as those in skiing, dancing, rugby, football etc.

This balancing board is a flat wooden disc mounted on an inverted hemisphere.

 

Many people also find the mini trampoline or bouncer incredibly useful for balance and coordination work. A useful feature is the optional handlebar to make balance work safer for those who need support.  The Airex balance pad and bar offer a more gentle balance exercise.

Children love trying to balance on the Senso Balance Hedgehog which can be a great addition to any nursery or playroom.

 

View the full range of rehabilitation products

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